Preview: Chippewa men look to earn first conference win with trip to Eastern Michigan


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CMU Men's Basketball huddles together during a media timeout on Feb. 26 at the Convocation Center.

In its conference opener against rival Western Michigan, Central Michigan struggled out of the gate and couldn't sustain a late rally. 

The Chippewa men's basketball team fell by 15, producing a sour taste within a roster that is largely made up of players getting their first look at Mid-American Conference action.  

Now, coach Keno Davis' team that features seven newcomers in its rotation will get its second chance to earn a conference win when it travels to Eastern Michigan. The Eagles and Chippewas will square off for the 196th time at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 inside the Convocation Center in Ypsilanti. CMU leads the series 99-96, dating back to 1906 and is the oldest rivalry for the Chippewas.

Both teams lost their conference openers, with the Eagles dropping a home tilt with Toledo 91-74. In that game, EMU was led by senior forward Ty Groce's 21 points and six rebounds. EMU is currently 2-2, with its other loss coming in a season-opening rout at Michigan State and two wins coming over Division III opponents Adrian and Olivet. 

Here are three key aspects of CMU's matchup with EMU:

Dissecting the zone

This matchup will pit one of the country's most efficient defenses against a up-and-down Chippewa offense. EMU coach Rob Murphy -- who is a disciple of zone defense guru and Syracuse head coach, Jim Boeheim -- employs a 2-3 defense that baffled the Chippewas for long stretches in each of their two matchups last season. 

CMU has played 56 possessions this season against a zone defense, according to Synergy, and has seen mixed results. Against the zone, the Chippewas are shooting 46 percent on 43 shot attempts. A majority of those 56 possessions, 30 to be exact, have ended with spot-up shots. 

The Eagles have plenty of length on defense, with Groce one of three players in the starting lineup standing six-foot-five or higher. The others, Yeikson Montero and Derek Ballard, make up the bottom half of the 2-3 zone. Additionally, forward James Love stands six-foot-11 and gets quality minutes off the bench. 

To counter the length, the Chippewas must get solid performances from their shooters. Senior guard Devontae Lane and junior transfers Caleb Huffman and Ralph Bissainthe are all shooting above 40 percent from beyond the arc and will need to stay true to form to give the Chippewas a chance. 

Traditionally, Davis has fielded teams that are built around the ability to shoot from the outside. Yet, this season, he's been open about the fact that his squad isn't built like years past. In freshman Aundre Polk, junior Malik Muhammad, senior Braden Burke and redshirt freshman Caleb Hodgson, Davis has four traditional back-to-the-basket centers. Their ability to pass will be tested, as they'll likely be planted directly in the middle of the Eagle zone. 

If Davis elects to spread out the zone, he may employ a lineup that features Bissainthe at the "five" position. According to KenPom, Bissainthe plays center 11 percent of the time, fourth most behind Polk, Hodgson and Muhammad. Using Bissainthe alongside some combination of his plethora of guards would allow Davis to attempt to give his offense an extra outside threat. 

Both teams trying to build continuity with plethora of newcomers

As CMU is breaking in seven new players, EMU is doing the same with five this season. The big newcomer for the Eagles is sophomore transfer guard Drew Lowder, who took an official visit to CMU before choosing EMU. 

Each team features two newcomers in their starting lineup. The Chippewas have been more reliant on their newcomers, as they've needed to compensate for seven departed seniors from last year's team, including four starters. Huffman, Bissainthe and junior guard Meikkel Murray have led the charge in trying to replace those contributions. 

Huffman and Murray are second and third on the team in scoring, respectively, behind senior guard Travon Broadway Jr.'s 15 points per game. Polk has been a pleasant surprise for CMU as the true freshman has contributed 20.4 minutes, 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. 

Two of the seven Chippewa newcomers are up in the air in terms of playing Dec. 29. Hodgson has missed the last five games, while Burke has missed the last four, and have uncertain statuses heading into the matchup. Hodgson started the first two games of the season and Burke has been a limited contributor, scoring four points in four games. 

The Eagles do have a bit of an experience advantage. Groce has played in 102 games in his career while four others on roster contributed last season in their first year with the program. Montero played in all 32 games last season, and Darion Spotsville emerged as a primary ball handler last season but will continue to compete for those duties with Lowder. 

The emergence of Travon Broadway Jr. 

After beginning last season in the starting lineup, Broadway Jr. bowed out after a slew of strong showings from now-graduated Dallas Morgan. Relegated to an off-the-bench role, he was on and off for much of the season in terms of scoring numbers. 

Now, as a senior and full-time starter, Broadway Jr. has taken his game to another level. He leads the team in scoring and has attempted 30 3-pointers, setting a pace that will likely shatter his number of 77 last season. Additionally, he is shooting a better percentage in every category. 

According to Synergy, Broadway Jr. is averaging a point per possession that ends with the ball in his hands. Synergy classifies these possessions as any trip down the court that ends with Broadway taking a shot or committing a turnover. Broadway Jr.'s numbers rank in the 73rd percentile of the country, a mark that Synergy classifies as "very good." 

His uptick in production has been necessary for a Chippewa offense that has struggled to get going at times. The offense ranks third in the conference in scoring, but they've scored over 80 points against a Division I opponent just once. 90-plus scoring outputs against lower-tier opponents Saint Francis (Illinois) and Olivet have inflated that scoring number. 

In order for the Chippewas to be successful against the Eagles, Broadway Jr. will need to contribute in what has become his typical fashion. He has been good in transition and has improved his spot-up shooting numbers, both of which will be tested against the Eagle zone. Having him at peak performance will spell good things for the Chippewa attack. 

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